A recent development in postage services is the availability of stamps that are created in part by a buyer, for example, a buyer may purchase postage stamps that bear a reproduction of a favorite photograph based on a digital image file provided by the buyer. Such stamps have two regions, an image region and a cancellation region. The cancellation region contains the information needed by the United States Postal Service (sometimes referred to herein simply as “the Post Office” or “USPS”) to recognize the stamp as payment for postal delivery of the item to which the stamp is applied. The information, referred to herein as a “meter mark,” is often provided in the form of a bar code. Once the Post Office accepts the stamp and assumes the task of delivery, the Post Office applies a cancellation mark onto the stamp so that the stamp will not be re-used. Unfortunately, the Post Office cancellation mark on custom stamps defaces the portion of the stamp. This defeats, or at least diminishes, the stamp buyer's desire to have the recipient of the mailed item recognize and enjoy the image. Custom stamps can be used by institutions such as schools, churches, charities, and the like as fundraising items, whereby a customer buys custom postage stamps from a supplier who contributes part of the proceeds the institution, as described, for example, in United States Patent Application Publication No. 20060293910 of George A. Castineiras, which is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety. The fact that the Post Office's cancellation marks deface such custom stamps diminishes the value of such stamps as fundraising products.